God-Study

Demo Day In The Temple Of God

When it’s time to renovate an old house and tear out all the old, out-dated, dirty stuff, it’s demo day. When walls are torn down, carpet is ripped up, and a toilet is heaved out of the front door, it’s demo day. If it doesn’t work with the new design plan, it’s got to go. Demo day isn’t for the faint of heart; it’s full of swinging sledgehammers and flying debris, but it’s the only way to makeover an ugly house. To be a more faithful Christian, do we need a demo day in our life?

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) Since our bodies are the temple of the Spirit of God, it would be interesting to know how Jesus acted within the temple here on earth. We find out in John 2:13-17. “The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” Do we know this whip-slinging, table-overturning, demolition Jesus? Maybe we should.

God has always had this heart for demolition. In Number 33:52, we again see God set on demolishing certain things. As Israel was about to cross over the Jordan into the promised land, God told Moses, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places.” Knowing this about God, we shouldn’t be surprised to see His Son have a demo day in the middle of the temple, driving out anything that doesn’t honor his Father.What about our temples? Does anything reside in our temple that doesn’t honor God?

Who would do a beautiful home makover, which is what happens within us when Jesus touches our hearts, and not rip out raggedy carpet or smashed windows? Jesus makes it clear that wicked, ugly things don’t belong in the temple of God. Paul puts it like this: “For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial?” (1 Corinthians 6:14-15) If we have sinful habits, mean thoughts, or bitterness dwelling within our temple, now’s the time for a demo day. Let’s ask Jesus to come and drive out anything that makes our temple, our heart anything but a pleasant place for God to dwell.